TROY, N.Y.—The William Smith College basketball team closed out the first and second halves strong on the way to a 63-53 Liberty League win at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The Herons improved to 11-7 overall, 7-5 in conference play, while the Engineers fall to 9-9, 4-7.
 
William Smith had three players reach double digits in the scoring column led by senior Mia Morrison's 18 points. Sophomore Stavriana Dimitrakopoulou added 12 points and senior Olivia Hughes contributed 10 points. Hughes also blocked a shot, the 63rd of her career, moving her into a tie for fourth place on the Herons' all-time list with Wendi Schoff '98. Sophomore Juliana Gamboa posted team-highs with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
 
RPI was led by junior Ines Ortea's game-high 23 points. She also grabbed seven boards. Senior Elizabeth Eckardt chipped in 12 points.
 
With the game tied at 24 late in the second quarter, William Smith scored the final 10 points before halftime. Sophomore Kyesha Talerico had four points during the push. Meanwhile, RPI missed its last five shots from the floor going into the break.
 
During a low-scoring third quarter, the Herons stretched their lead to as many as 16 before heading the final frame with a 44-33 lead.
 
Two minutes into the fourth quarter, William Smith led by 10, but Ortea scored the game's next five points to give the home team hope. Morrison stopped the run with a jumper that gave the Herons a 51-44 lead.
 
As the game clock ticked under four minutes, the Engineers trailed by just six, but William Smith closed out the victory with a 10-6 run. Gamboa and Hughes both posted four points in the waning minutes.
 
The Herons will wrap up their five-game road trip this weekend with a swing through the North Country. William Smith will visit St. Lawrence (7-11, 4-7) on Friday, Feb. 1 followed by a matinee at Clarkson (6-11, 3-7) on Saturday, Feb. 2.